IS YOUR JOB FOR YOU?

The conception that you need to stay in a job for 5years+ is a mentality that has been passed on to us by our parents, aunties, uncles, older cousins and even some friends! Yes, if you’ve worked in 5 different companies in 3 years, your next potential employer might give you the side-eye, but sometimes you have to choose yourself and your happiness! Everyone wants a strong CV, but its important to note that your happiness is linked to your productivity! If you hate the job, you might end up not giving it your all, and there goes your strong CV.

Your gut keeps telling you to leave, but you’re conflicted and not sure whether you’ll be making the right move? Here are some signs you should watch out for:

ZERO PASSION

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about loving what you do and not having to work a day in your life! The unfortunate reality is that most people are just getting on with their jobs and not exactly loving it. If you aren't necessarily in love with your job, thats okay! But you need to have a certain level of interest or passion in fulfilling the objectives of your company/ department. You should be actively working towards the strategic goals of the company or at least care about them a little bit. The moment you see that you couldn't care less about what the company is doing or achieving, you should be thinking about leaving soon.

PROCRASTINATION

When you first start working at a company, you are so pumped to deliver. Sometimes there is a slow down somewhere in the middle when the novelty of the job dies down, but then most people are able to pick up the momentum. If you still find yourself floating and drowning in procrastination everyday, that might be your mind’s way of showing you that you’re trying to escape every work-related activity, and would rather spend your days doing other things!

EXHAUSTION

Work can be draining; long hours, many deadlines, and don’t get me started about the commute! However physical and mental exhaustion is expected given the nature of work these days. What you need to be weary of is when you literally feel like you’re draining your soul! If you get what this means, then you’re definitely ready to leave! Its hard to explain; but its literally the highest level of fatigue; you feel like you’re giving EVERYTHING to the job and you hate it. This can lead to depression so you don’t want to be feeling like this for too long!

PATTERNED MOOD SWINGS

Moody, Moody, Moody!! This is you on Sunday evening, and every morning of the week, but on Friday evening and the weekends, you’re living your best life! Its sad to go back to work after having a great restful weekend, but you shouldn’t feel like the world is crashing down on you the entire week.

ZERO INTEREST IN CULTURE

You used to be the life of the party in the office? Even if this wasn’t the case, you at least tried to be bit more active in terms of your social involvement! If you’re currently just at work to clock in your hours, and not enjoy your work experience, that’s not sustainable! When employers recruit, they look for individuals who will fit into the company culture. Like school, work is also about play. You work hard and play hard to ensure that everyone is happy and productivity levels are high! If you can't engage in social activities at work, your morale might be low and that has an effect on your life at work!

THOUGHTS

What are you thinking about ??? Are you constantly thinking about how to improve your work ? How to meet your KPI’s?? How to grow your team? How to come up with a new initiative at work ? These are the general thoughts of a proactive career driven individual who is keen to grow and develop in their job! If you don't think about things like this as far as your job is concerned, you might not be so committed to it!

These are a few signs that indicate you might not be happy in your job. Leaving a job is a big decision that must be handled with much thought.

You might feel some of the things mentioned above, but other factors must be considered; your financial stability ( Can you afford to be unemployed , even for a month?), your career goals (Are there KPI,s you need to achieve in this job that will help you in your next Job ) etc.

Try not to make impulsive decisions, but ultimately, choose to be happy!!!